Sunday, January 03, 2016

Dutch Jewish family’s home vandalized in anti-Semitic attack

The Amsterdam home of a Jewish family was vandalized by assailants who shouted “Cancer Jews” and “Free Palestine.”

The incident on the night between December 31 and January 1 was reported on the political blog Dagelijkse Standaard. Louis Bontes, a former police officer, and Joram van Klaveren subsequently reported the incident to the minister of social affairs and employment, as well as to the minister of security and justice.

The article did not identify the victims, but featured a reproduction of their Facebook post in which they wrote: “Last night, a few teens decided their celebrations are not complete without some hatred. While yelling ‘Cancer Jews’ and ‘Free Palestine,’ they kicked our doors and windows.”

The blog also showed a picture of damage caused to the door.

Police have not made any arrests in the incident, which occurred more than a week after the the Dutch capital’s mayor pledged $1.27 million for the protection of Jewish institutions in the city.

Bontes and van Klaveren, independent members of the Dutch lower house who once belonged to the right-wing Party for Freedom, asked the ministers in their query: “To what degree do you accept that Jewish museums, schools and synagogues in 2016 in the Netherlands require protection from violence and intimidation is a sign of social decline?”

In 2014, the Dutch watchdog group CIDI recorded 171 anti-Semitic incidents. The figure was 100 in 2013.